This year’s annual Year 7 Camp has once again been a wonderful adventure for our Year 7 students. They recently travelled to Camp Yarramundi, where the year group participated in many fun and challenging activities. The students stayed in cabins which were named after different Australian animals and plants, and despite the cold weather, the cabins were comfortable enough with air-conditioning to keep out the winter chill. The students were also assigned to activity groups with around 10 others, with a teacher as their group leader. They commented on the memorable time they had in which they had the opportunity to gain many skills, which led them to overcome fears such as heights and being away from their families. New memories and new friendships were formed, and the students were given many opportunities to step out of their comfort zones and conquer their fears.
Over the course of three days, students were given the opportunity to partake in many activities, some of which included the Flying Fox, Scavenger Hunt, archery, Giant Swing, Damper Making, High Ropes, an Obstacle Course and the overall prevalent favourite, the Cave Maze.
On the first day, the students were introduced to their instructors and were assigned activity groups. From there, they began participating in a wide range of activities that challenged their physical, mental and strategic abilities. In the evening, students were provided with a range of options on how to spend the night. One of the more popular options was to watch Game 1 of ‘State of Origin’. Thanks to the help of teachers and staff at Yarramundi, the grade had a lot of fun cheering on their team and watching the footy with their friends. Despite the result not being what most of the students and teachers were hoping for, they still had an excellent time.
Many students agreed that the second day was much less chaotic. Each group got to complete 3 activities and learned how to play Gaga Ball. Gaga Ball is a game often played at Camp Yarramundi that is very similar to dodge ball. The students became very competitive with each other as they battled it out to be the last person standing. They were once again met with a range of options on how to spend the evening. One of the options was to gather around a campfire, roast marshmallows and listen to scary stories. The other was to gather in the hall and watch Aladdin. Each activity had a substantial amount of people involved, and everyone commented on the fun experience.
On the final day, the Year 7 students were able to experience 2 more exciting activities before it was time to pack up and leave. After a tasty burger for lunch, the year group thanked the staff and instructors for assisting them during camp and then headed to the buses with their luggage. Camp Yarramundi was very fun, and our students were clearly exhausted after the 3 days. Many of them fell asleep on the bus before finally arriving back at school.
It was very clear to see how the camp experience had helped strengthen and broaden many relationships with friends, teachers and unfamiliar peers, and it created many new friendships.
"It was an incredible opportunity to get to know other people and even see a different side of our teachers. I really enjoyed the activities like the Cave Maze because they were very different from what we would have ever done before and it helped us develop our mental, as well as our physical abilities." - Oriana P (Year 7 Student Representative)
“It was an amazing experience and one that I will never forget. I got to know many more people and enjoy the activities with the support of my peers. It was extremely hard being away from home but I’m glad that I had the extraordinary opportunity to go.” - Elizabeth G (Year 7 Student Representative)
Written by Zoe C, Sanjna S and Oriana P with edits from Elizabeth G